Hospital bed adjusting mechanism



Dec. 9, 1952 E. HoLM HOSPITAL BED ADJUSTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 13( 1946 Dec. 9, 1952 E. HOLM 2,620,489

HOSPITAL BED ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed July 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 E fr *n x N I' i l u i w r L l I Q wg :i :l l l: I Il I l l Q *g k X -1W/ssa@ n..

Dec. 9, 1952 E. HoLM HOSPITAL BED ADJUSTING MECHANISM Filed July 13, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet '5 Dec. 9, 1952 L. E. HoLM HOSPITAL BED ADJUSTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 13, 1946 Patented Dec. 9, 19752 UNITED STATES PATENT i OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting the adjustable head, leg and foot portions of a hospital bed bottom, and more particularly to mechanism by which the occupant of the bed may effect adjustment of the various adjustable sections of the bed bottom.

The main objects of the invention are to provide a simple, easily operable mechanism readily accessible togan occupant of a hospital bed whereby theA adjustable sections of a hospital bed bottom may beoccupant-adjusted from time to time as may be desired; to provide such mechanism which will facilitate selective adjustment of the various bed bottom sections while the bed is occupied, either by the occupant of the bed or an attendant; and, in general, it is ythe object of the invention to provide an improved hospital bed adjusting mechanism of the character indicated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (fl sheets) wherein there is disclosed a hospital bed adjusting mechanism embodying a selected form of the invention.

In the drawings: v

Fig. 1 is a side elevation illustrating the improved mechanism applied to a typical hospital bed;

Fig.y 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a plan section Aon the line 3-3 ofv Fig. .4 is a-vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figv;

Fig..5 is a vertical section on the line 5 5 of FigVS; and

Fig. 6 is a side view, partly broken away, of the structure shown in Fig. 5. i

The typical hospital bed illustratedV in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings comprises head and foot frames I and 2, respectively, said frames being interconnected by longitudinally extending side rails 3 and 4. Y

kAn adjustable hospital bed bottom comprises a head section 5 pivotally secured at its opposite sides as indicated at 6 to the vertical flanges of a, pair of angle iron bracket members 1 which arerigidly secured to the respective side frame members or rails 3 and 4 in the properlocation. Ashort stationary bedsection 8 is supported by thebracket members 1, and atransverse drop center. spacer 9 extending between the opposite serves toi resist collapsing of the bed bottom posite sides as represented at I4 to the free end of the intermediate section II. The free end rportion of the foot section I3 is adjustably supported by suitable rollers, such as I5, which ride on. the top surface of `the underlying side frame members 3 and 4. To steady the structure, angularlydisposed corner braces such as represented at I6 may extend between brackets |661. which are secured to the end frames I and 2 and the respective side members 3 and 4.

A shaft I'I extending transversely of the bed structure is suitably journaled in brackets'such as represented at IB secured to the side'frames 3 and 4 and said shaft is provided with arms I9 secured rigidly to the shaft so as to turn therewith. The free ends of the arms I9 are connected by means of links 20 to the sides of the head frame section 5 of the bed bottom so that any rocking movement imparted to the shaft I'I Will effect adjustment ofthe bed bottom section 5 about its pivots 6.

Similarly, a shaft 2| is rotatably mounted in suitable brackets 22 and said shaft 2| is con nected by means of arms such as 23 and vlinks such as 24 to the intermediate adjustableV bed bottom section |I so that any rotary movement imparted to the shaft 2| will eiect adjustment Y of the intermediate section II about its pivots I2. .The foot section I3 of the bed bottom will t single operating lever 25 which operates through connections about to be described to rock the shafts I1 and 2| selectively in either direction of rotation.l The lever 25 acts through suitable connections to rotate a shaft 26 in either direcf tion of rotation, and also to shift saiclfshaftA lengthwise.

The shaft 26 is mounted for both rotary and longitudinal sliding movement in a bearing'ZI,

which is formed as a part of a casting 28 which is rigidly secured to the stationary bed frame member 3 (see Figs.`2, 5 and).

thesaid frame 3 by means of a bracket 29 which Said'shaft 26 1s also `supported at a pointspaced inwardly'from f is rigidly supported by a pair of rods 30-36 which are xedly mounted in suitable integral socket portions of the casting 28. Rigidity of the support for the bracket 29 is augmented by the provision of a tubular member 3| of which one end ts snugly in a hole bored in said bracket 29 and which at its other end is rigidly secured as indicated at 32 to a bracket 33 depending from the opposite side frame member 4. The shaft 26 is journaled and slidable within the tube 3| and within a suitable bushing provided in the bearing 21.

The shaft 26 has rigidly mounted on it a pair of bevel gears 34 and 35 which are respectivelyY adapted to cooperate with bevel gears 36 and 31 The bevel gear 36 is secured to one end yof a shaft 38 (see Figs. 3 and 4) which is journaled at one end in a supporting yoke '36. The yoke 39 is supported as shown in Fig. 3, on the tube 3| and on the shaft 26. The other end portion of the shaft 38 is provided with screw threading indicated at -46 which nts an internally threaded sleeve 4| which is suitably xed in a, tube v42 having one end pivotally connected as shown at 43 to the free end of an arm 44 which depends from the operating shaft I1. The tube 42 is a free lit within a casing or jacketing tube 45 which is rigidly mounted in a socket portion of the yoke 39 Yas clearly shown in Fig. l4. Inasmuchv as the weight of the head section of the bed bottom normally tends, through the describedv link and arm connection to the shaft |1, to rock the same in a direction which tends to move the sleeve` 4| and threaded shaft -36 towards ythe shaft 26, a suitable anti-friction thrust bearing 46 is p-rovided between a collar 41 pinned on the shaft 35 and a shoulder portion of the yoke 39.

It will be seen that by rotating the gear 34 while in mesh withthe gear 36, thescrew 46 will b-e rotated and that endwise movement will be imparted to the internally threaded sleeve 4| and its carrying tube 42. Such endwise movement of the tube 42 will of course, be transmitted through the arm 44 to the shaft I1 to eiTect adjustment of the head section 5 of the bed bottom.

The Vgear 31 is connected through asimilar telescopic screw mechanism 48 to the free end vof an arm 49 which depends from and is rigidly secured to the adjusting shaft 2| for the intermediate and foot sections of thebed bottom.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the gears 34'and 35 on the shaft 26 are so spaced that when the gear 34 is in mesh with the gear 36, the shaft `gear 35 is disengaged from the gear 31. By moving the shaft 26 endwise, the gear 34V may be disengaged from the gear 36 as gear 35 is brought into meshing engagement with the gear31. The shaft is yieldingly held in either of these two positions by means of spring pressed pins 56-56 mounted in suitable bosses 5|-5i formed as a part of the casting 28. Said spring pressed pins 56-50 engage either of a pair of` grooves 52 and 53 provided in the shaft 26. The spring pressed pins 56-50 together with certain elements which will presently be described offer suflicient .resistance to the endwise movement of the shaft to maintain the selected gear engagement when adjusting the desired portion of the bed .bottom structure.

As best shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the shaft 26 projects outwardly beyond the frame side mem ber 3 and it has mounted on it a collar 54, the said collar being rigidly secured to the shaft by a pin 55 or other suitable means. The collar 54 constitutes one member of a two-way ball clutch device, the other principal parts of which are a pair of suitable clutch balls 56 and 51 and a clutch block 58 having a kgroove or recess 59 extending therethrough and in which said balls 56 and 51 are movable. The clutch block 58 is rockably mounted on the shaft 26 by means of a pair of side arms or mounting plates 66 and 6| which have their upper portions riveted or otherwise secured to said clutch block 53 as indicated at 62, and their lower portions apertured and journaled on the shaft 26 on opposite sides of said clutch collar 54. A pair of side plates 63 and 64 are secured to the clutch block 58 by screws such as indicated at 65-65 and said plates 63 and 64 have in-turned lower end portions 66 and 61, respectively, cooperating with the walls of the recess 59 in the block 58 to house the clutch balls 56 and 51 and a pair of clutch springs 68, which urge the clutch balls 56 and 51 to move inwardlyor toward each other.

The operating lever or handle 25 has its lower end rotatably mounted in the block 58 and it vis normally held against inward and outward -movement by means of a spring-pressed ball 69 movable in a suitable bore in the block 56 and engageable with a groove 16 in the lever 25. A clutch ball control pin 1| is securely mounted in the inner end portion of the hand lever 25 and projects therefrom into the space 'between the clutch balls 55 and 51. As shown in Fig. 5, said clutch ball control pin 1| is eccentrically disposed relative to .the axis of the lever 25v so that by turning the lever 25 about its own axis the pin 1| may be caused to engage either of the clutch balls v56 -or 51 to move and hold the same in an outwardly offset inoperative position. For determining the desired operative positions o-f ythe control pin 1=|, the groove 'i6 of the hand lever is provided v-at proper diametrically opposed points withk enlarged recess portions 12 and 13 which will cooperate with the spring-pressed ball 69 to yieldably hold the lever in either of two selected position.

When the lever 25 is in the position shown in Fig. 5, the clutch ball 51 is held in an outwardly offset position in which it is free of engagement with the clutch member 54. The rOther yclutch ball 56 is, however,r permitted to be driven by the spring 66 into wedged engagementwith the overlying face portion 14 of the clutch block 58 and the periphery of the clutch member 54. Hence,

if the lever 25 is swung in counter-clockwise direction about the axis of the shaft 26 from'the position shown in Fig. 5, the clutch member 54 and the shaft 26 will be correspondingly,rotated. Hence, in the arrangement shown, counter-clockwise swinging of the hand lever 25 from a vertical position will effect upward adjustment of the head section 5 of the adjustable bed bottom.

To lower the head section 5 from an'elevated position, ,the handle 25 is turned 180 degrees about its own axis so as to disengage the clutch ball v56 and to effect engagement of the clutch ball 51 whereupon clockwise rotation of the lever 25 about the axis of the shaft 26 will effect rotation of the shaft 26 and the desired lowering vof the head section of the bed bottom.

The rocking movement of the handlever- 25 for adjusting the head section 5 must'be leffected within a segment or arc of movement between the vertical position of thehandle shown in Fig. `5 and a horizontal position extending towardqthe head end of the bed structure. Similarly rocking movement of the handle 25 to eifectl adjustmentV of the intermediate and foot Vsections of the .bed bottom Ymust be effected withinga segment between the vertical position of thelever' and a horizontal position extending toward the foot ofthe bed.` This is due to the following described mechanism which automatically effects shifting of the shaft 26 lengthwise to control the driving engagement of the gears 34 and 35 with the gears 36 and 31, respectively.

The clutch mechanism side plate 6| is provided at its lower end with an extension portion which projects beyond the periphery of the clutch member 54. Saidextension 15 is centrally notched vas indicated at 16 to provide a pair of arms 11 and 18. The arm 11 has its free end portion bent laterally outwardly to form a cam ledge 19 and the arm portion 18 has its end portion bent laterally inwardly to form a. cam ledge 80. The cam ledge 19 acts against a i'lxed pin 8l carried by a projection 82 of the main casting 28vandvserves, when rthe hand lever 25 is rocked in the segment toward the head of the bed to-force the shaft 26 inwardly (to the right in Fig. 6) to thereby establish operative engagementv between the gears 34 and 36 as illustrated in Figg. The cam ledge 88 cooperates with a cam button 83 mounted in a portion of the casting 28 to force theshaft 26 outwardly when the hand lever is'rocked in the segment which extends towardsthe foot of the bed. It will be seen that so long as the hand lever is operated in onesegment of movement, the shaft 26 will remain in the `corresponding position of longitudinal` adjustment and that when the lever is shiftedfrom one such segment of movement to the other segment, the shaft'will immediately be shifted longitudinally to thereby change the relationship of the gears 34 to 31, inclusive.

.The housing side portion' 6I which carries the cam ledges 18 and 80 is held against movement longitudinally of theshaft 26 Iby being confined between the clutch member 54 and a collar 84 pinned to the shaft 26 as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6.

yThe hand lever 25 is additionally supported by beingjournalled in a boss 85 secured to a casing or shell 86 which is journalled as indicated at r81 o n the'free outer end portion of the shaft 26. The shell 86 may be so journaled on a bushing 88 andretained in place by means of a washer 83 secured to the end of the shaft by screw means as illustrated or otherwise. The bushing 88 constitutes a spacer for preventing clamping of the hub portion 81 of the shell between marginal portions ofthe retaining washer 89 and the adjacentface of theclutch housing plate 60. A friction spring 90 may be suitably secured to a portion ofthe shell 86for frictionally engaging a ange portion 8| of the casting 28 which surrounds an inner portion of said shell. Said friction spring 90 will serve to yieldably hold the handle 25 in the upwardly projecting position illustrated'or in any other desired position.

'The hand lever 25 may be disposed in an outof-the-way position Iby being horizontally positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1. In this position the lever maybe additionally supported by fixed stop pins` 92 and93 which project from portions of the main casting 28 in proper positions for this purpose.

Various changes in the described structure may be made without -departing from the principles of the invention as described and as represented by the illustrated embodiment of the invention.

I claim:

l. In a hospital bed having an adjustable bed bottom structure including at least two independently adjustablesectlons, a hand lever. piv-` otally mounted on the side of the bed for rocking movement, a shaft, two-way clutch means interconnecting said hand lever and shaft for transmitting motion of said hand lever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageabley entlyadjustable bed bottom sections, a rotatablyv mounted shaft extending transversely of the bed bottom, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed-bottom, two-Way clutch means interconnecting said hand lever and shaft and selectively adjustable to transmit rocking movement of said lever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageable and disengageable driving connections between said shaft andthe respective adjustable bed bottomrsections for effecting adjustment of said sections independently of each other as an incident to rocking of said hand lever, and means co-operating with said shaft and actuated by rocking movement of said lever for eiecting engagement and disengagement of said driving connections.

3. A hospital bed having a bed bottom structure embodying a pair of relatively independently adjustable bed bottom sections, a rotatably mounted shaft extending transversely of the bed bottom, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed bottom, two-way clutch means interconnecting said hand lever and shaft and selectively adjustable to transmit rocking movement of said lever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageable and disengageable driving connections between said shaft and the respective adjustable bed bottom sections for effecting adjustment of said sections independently of each other as an incident to rocking of said hand lever,

and means co-operating with said shaft and actuated by the shifting of said lever from one predetermined zone of rocking movement to another such zone for selectively effecting engagement and disengagement of said driving connections.

4. A hospital bed having a bed bottom structure embodying adjustable head and leg sections respectively adjacent the opposite ends of the bed bottom, a rotatably mounted shaft extending transversely of the bed bottom, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed bottom, twoway clutch means interconnecting said hand lever and shaft and selectively adjustable to transmit rocking movement of said hand lever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageable and disengageable driving connections between said shaft and the respective adjustable bed bottom sections for effecting adjustment of said sections independently of each other as an incident to rocking of said hand lever, and means co-operating with said shaft and actuated by the shifting of said lever from one predetermined zone of rocking movement to another such zone for selectively effecting engagement and disengagement asedio@Fl 7 of lsaid driving connections, the arrangement being such that the zone of rocking movement for adjusting said head section extends largely from the axis of said shaft toward said head section and thezone of rocking movement for adjusting the other section extends largely from said ,axis toward said othersection.

5. A hospital bed having a bed bottom structure embodying a pair of relatively independently adjustable bed bottom sections, ,a rotatably mounted shaftextending transversely of the bed bottom, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed bottom, two-'way clutch means interconnecting said hand. lever and shaft and selectively adjustable to transmit rocking movement of saidV hand lever in either direction to` shaft shaft, said lever being also mounted for turning movement on an axisextending transversely of said shaft axis, means whereby turning of said lever effects adjustment of said two-way clutch for transmitting movement selectively as aforesaid, selectively engageable and disengageable driving connections between said shaft and the respective adjustable bed bottom sections for effecting adjustmentof said sections independently. of each other, and means co-operating with said shaftand actuated by thel rocking of said hand lever for. selectively effecting engagement .and disengagement of said driving connections.

6. A hospital bed having abed bottom structure embodying a pair of relatively independently adjustable bed bottom sections, a rotatable and axially movable shaft mounted on the bed notn tom structure .transverselyl thereof, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed bottom, twoway clutch means interconnecting said hand lever and shaft and selectively adjustable to transmit rocking movement of said lever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageable and disengageable driving connections between said shaft and each of said bed bottom sections comprising inter-engaging elements which are selectively separable and engageable by endwise movement of said shaft, said lever being anchored to said shaft against movement lengthwise thereof, interengageable cam means on said lever and said bed bottom structure effective upon move ment of said lever from one predetermined Zone ofmovement to another to shift said shaft endwise and thereby to selectively engage one of said drivingconnections and to disengage the other.

'7. A hospital bed having a bed bottom structure embodying a pair of relatively independently adjustable bed bottom sections, a rotatable and axially movable shaft mounted on the bed bottom transversely thereof, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed bottom, two-way clutch means interconnecting said hand lever and shaft and selectively adjustable to transmit rocking movement of saidlever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageable and disengageable driving connections between said shaft and each 8, of said bed-bottoni sections comprising inter-'engaging elements which are selectively. separable and engageable by endwisemovement toV `said shaft, said leverbeing Yanchored to said shaftV against movement lengthwise thereof, and ltwo pairs of cam members .each paircomprising acam member on said lever-anda cam member on--said bed bottom, said cam members of one pair being inter-engageable byA movement of said leverffrom one predetermined zone of movement to another such zone tofshiftsaidshaft lengthwise 'in one direction, and the other pair of lcam members being engageable by movement ofsaid-lever between said zones in reverse order to shift said shaft endwise in the opposite direction, thereby to selectively engage and disengage said driving connections.

8. vA hospital bed having a bed bottom structure embodying a pair of relatively independently adjustable bed bottom sections, a rotatable and axially movable shaft mounted on the bed -bottom transversely thereof, a hand lever mounted for rocking movement about the axis of said shaft at one side of said bed bottom, two-way clutch means interconnecting `said hand lever and shaft movement of said lever in either direction to said shaft, selectively engageable and disengageableA driving connections between said shaft and each of said bed bottom sections comprising-interengaging elements which are selectivelyvseparable and engageable by endwise movement of said shaft, said lever beingl anchored to said shaft against movement endwise thereof, interengage able cam means on said .lever and said bed 'bottom structure effective upon movement of said lever from one predetermined Zone of movement to another such zone to shift said shaft endwise and thereby to selectively engage one of said driving connections and to disengage the other, and a two-part housing enclosing said clutch and said cam means, one part of said housing being fixed to said bed bottom and the other part being fixed to said shaft so as to rotate .and move axially therewith, said housing parts having telescopic inter-fitting portions which are relatively rotatable, whereby said housing is, in effect, expansible and contractible in the direction of the length of said shaft so as to completely enclose said clutch and cam means in` all ,operativeI positions of said shaft and lever. K l

LUTHER E. VHOLM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 53,041 Puffer Mar. 6, '1866 870,151 Abell Nov. 5, 1907 2,202,383 Hymer et al May 28, 1940 2,336,850 Davis Dec. 14, 1943 2,349,701 Buttikofer May 23, 1944 2,414,341 Spraragen Jan. 14, 1947 

